This is going to be an extraordinary year. There is so much that is unique, unusual and eccentric about it that it's breathtaking, with a transformational potency that is also beyond most of our life experiences. Hang onto your hats and watch the ground move beneath your feet.

All through 2011 we've been getting the early signs of the psychic tsunami that is the Pluto/Uranus square, which will be exact to the minute on June 24 and September 19, having crossed swords, at a stretch, in July last year. We are revisiting the 1960s, the last time the two tangoed with this kind of strength expressed in the tremendous surge of radical and exhilarating change of that period. The deep deconstruction, and potential reconstruction, of all our major systems - financial, political and social - currently represented by Pluto's passage of Capricorn, is radicalised by the electrifying, revolutionary energies of Uranus in Aries.

And this is not only the biggest astrological signature for the year but a very immediate one, as Pluto is on the Sun in the last days of 2011 and the first days of 2012, while the Moon is exactly on Uranus as the clock chimes midnight of the New Year! This "in your face" kind of setup colours our initiation into the year, a powerful, unpredictable and potentially liberating one, both the year and the moment. Expect a pretty wild New Year's Eve too!

Against this formidable backdrop is also a series of exceptional synchronicities. Firstly, Uranus, Pluto and Chiron the Wounded Healer all go into new territory in their respective signs, all into the 6-9 degree areas of Aries, Capricorn and Pisces, going stationary at 9 degrees, then retrograding back to the 5-6 degree mark, to then all go forward again by the end of the year. This means that if we have any planets or important asteroids in that 6-9 degree range of any sign, they will be aspected in different ways by each of these, sometimes simultaneously during this time, and repeatedly so.

This rather intense situation, sometimes called the triple whammy, means that these parts of self are up for deep change, radical and exciting redirection, and great healing, all at the same time. The quality of these aspects, whether good or difficult lineups, depends on which signs are involved. Expect a mixture of them. The Sun and Pluto are also conjunct Lilith and Hygeia, incorporating two powerful kundalini goddesses - one a great warrioress, the other a miraculous healer - into the empowering and therapeutic possibilities of the year.

And it is one of a number of aspects in the year's chart reinforcing the need to re-integrate the sacred feminine into the reconstructed world we are attempting to birth out of this chaos. Hekate, witch queen and medicine woman, is the archetype most elevated in the Australian new year chart, the highest point in any chart describing one of the fundamental drivers for any particular time. The Black Moon is also conjunct Jupiter in Taurus, while Medusa is tight with Saturn in late Libra. These all represent tremendous grace, and strong demands to open, heal and reclaim our relationship with the deep feminine, to the land and our indigenous cultures.

Neptune goes fully into Pisces in February, for a 13 year stroll through its traditional home. On "his" way, for Neptune is profoundly feminine, he joins with Chiron, a combination intent on unravelling old defences around our hearts and our sensitivity; an expression of the urge to reclaim the fullness of our spirituality and all the nurturing that comes with that. But before we get too dewy eyed, it's important to acknowledge that Chiron, like any true master, is also ruthless around our healing processes. As much as Neptune in Pisces is one of the best of transits for psychic and spiritual openings, we're not going to be able to simply meditate our way through this transformational period in our lives. But we can use the cracks in the firmament to do some exceptional healing. The Neptune/Chiron conjunction is actually pivotal in the whole chart, sending out positive aspects to all the main players including Pluto, Saturn and Jupiter. There is no lack of grace here.

Another unique thing about the year is that Mars, who usually spends a month or so in any sign, will spend the whole of the first six months of the year in Virgo, something he started in November 2011. I'm particularly pleased about this, as in the midst of all these big energies, we're going to be able to get on with things and use Mars in a very skilled, earthy, constructive way for an extended period. As the old structures break down, here is quality support for rebuilding afresh.

The benevolent Jupiter continues his passage of Taurus, enhancing all things bullish before going into Gemini in June. He is in particularly good form at the start of the year by trining the whole Pluto/Sun/Lilith/Hygeia combination in its first weeks. He does this in ways that encourage the best of their collective expression, while softening the harder edges of such a powerful combination. As I've mentioned before, Pluto/Jupiter combinations are among the best for deep, positive, gracious change. Make use of it.

Find an extended version of this column at www.sacredlawfirm.com.au

Daniel Sowelu (BSc Dip Ed) is a therapeutic astrologer, primal therapist and groupleader in his 30th year of private practice.